After taking a break from racing through the winter, it was nice to get back to it and kick off another year of racing with the Rock CF Half Marathon. This year the race fell on March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day. I had been aware of that but wasn’t thinking about it when I planned what to wear for the race. Plenty of other people DID think about it, so there were some festive outfits to appreciate.

This is the fourth time I’ve run the course and I’ve gotten into a pretty good routine. Each time I’ve run this race I’ve also been in prep mode for the Boston Marathon. It’s a great way to test my fitness a month before the big race. It also means I typically add some extra miles to my day because a long run at this point in my training plan is usually around 16-18 miles. To allow time for some pre-race mileage, I usually arrive almost an hour and a half before the 8am start time.

Part of that early arrival ensures that I will be able to park at the high school and make a 5-minute trek over to the middle school for a bathroom stop, packet pickup, and to drop warm clothes for after the race, then head back to my car.

I was aiming to run three miles before the race and set out with my headlamp and LED vest since it was still dark. The pre-race run helped me feel more secure with my clothing choices for the race since it was in the mid-30s and I was debating between shorts or tights. I warmed up enough after a couple miles to stick with shorts, although a few snow flurries made that seem a little questionable!

I finished warming up 15 minutes before the start of the race and headed to the starting corral where I lined up by the 1:40 pacer. It can be hard to gauge what pace to aim for in a half marathon when I haven’t been training for that pace. I’ve run some faster workouts at my 5K pace and I’ve done some longer runs at marathon pace, but nothing in between. Last year I ran 1:47 in this race when I was battling some tweaky spots and had missed several weeks of long runs. Training has gone smoothly this time around and I’ve felt good about my fitness. 1:40 seemed to be a time I could reasonably aim for since I’ve run a number of past half marathons in that time. I’d start with that goal and see how it played out!

I stuck by the pace group for a mile or so before I fell back a few steps because I didn’t want to go too fast. A slight downhill stretch helped me regain momentum and I found myself back with the pack through around four miles.

The race starts on the east side of the island which provides some nice scenery as the sun rises over the Detroit River.

Snow flurries returned in full force when I was about three miles into the race. Nothing accumulated but flakes blew right toward my face for several minutes. I thought about how I was glad that the bill of my hat provided a little protection and wondered about a couple of guys who chose to wear their hats backwards. Right as that thought crossed my mind, one of them must have had the realization that flipping it around would keep some of the flakes out of his face. When people wonder what I think about since I don’t run with music, these are the kinds of thoughts that run through my mind and keep me occupied!

We spent about a mile cutting from the east side of the island to the west side. There was some wind but fortunately not enough to bother me very much. I got a little impatient grinding through the four miles that seemed to drag on while I was on the west side though. The distance between me and the pace group began to grow by 10-20 seconds. That left me running mostly on my own and thinking about the gap that had formed. To run a 1:40 I figured I should run around a 7:35 pace, and it seemed like I was mostly right around that. I thought maybe the group could be going a little fast and maybe I’d have a burst of speed at the end and catch up. Maybe I’d be a little slower and just accept that I would run whatever I was capable of that day.

As the miles dragged on I kept looking forward to the tenth mile when I knew we’d get to run by the airport. As we approached it I was excited to see that we’d run through the hangar – something we did in the past but not during last year’s race.

It’s a fun and unique experience getting to run past planes in a hangar.

I think the combination of people cheering along the runway plus watching runners going in the opposite direction for an out and back stretch gave me some extra energy. My pace picked up a little bit and that segment ended up being my fastest mile of the race.

From there I knew I “just” had to get through another 5K. I was working hard but was still maintaining a pace somewhere around 7:35. My attempts at doing math told me that I might still be on track to run 1:40.

The course is relatively flat but even minor hills are very apparent when I’m trying to run fast. I knew one of those hills would come near the end which wouldn’t make things any easier, yet I was pushing hard enough that it didn’t make me fall off of my pace and I finished strong.

When I glanced at my watch a minute later I saw 1:39:59. I knew very well that the official time could be different if I hadn’t hit my watch right as I crossed the timing mat at the start or finish. ONE second under 1:40? I hoped that would hold! I actually didn’t confirm that until much later when I was about to leave the gym. I saw an awards table and realized I hadn’t even checked my results yet. No award for me, but 1:39:59 was official!

As is often the case, I ran a little long (a tenth of a mile long) so even though my watch told me I was running an average pace around 7:35, it worked out to be slightly slower for my official time.

I was pretty satisfied when I examined my splits and saw how consistent I had been. In the past I’ve often taken the approach of starting slower and I speed up gradually as I go. I usually end up feeling strong at the end of those races. Sometimes I speed up SO much I wonder if I should have pushed more earlier. Trying to consistently hold a fast pace the entire race usually feels a whole lot harder, yet that’s when I’ve run my fastest races.

Even when I was trailing behind, following the pace group helped me stay steady and resulted in my third sub-1:40 half marathon and third fastest time. I ran my PR on this course in 2022 and was only about a minute off that time. I was definitely happy with these results.

I collected my medal, a bottle of water, and posed for a photo, then headed out for a cool down run. Coming to a sudden stop after such a hard effort often causes me to cough, yet if I start running again, it calms me down. I’m not sure how that makes sense but it works! I ran back out to the road along the river and added an extra mile of distance to reach a total of 17 miles for the day. It was a leisurely run with a number of stops for photos.

I went into the gym to get some post-race treats and saw my friend Lisa right away. We had been hoping to catch up and chatted for quite a while as I enjoyed a cookie and a cinnamon crunch bagel from Panera – yum!

Eventually we parted ways, agreeing to try to meet up again in a couple weeks to catch up more.

It was my fourth time enjoying the Rock CF race experience which is why I continue to sign up for it each year as soon as registration opens. Although it was pretty cold last year and we got a few minutes of snow flurries this year, the race is typically the first post-winter half marathon road race around the area so I always see plenty of friends who are also anxious to get back to longer races. I always seem to question how I intend to run a fast half marathon pace when I haven’t been doing it in training, yet it all seems to come together successfully. The race falls right between my two hardest weeks of Boston training and it’s clear that the high mileage has gotten me in shape. I still need to keep up the hard work and stay healthy for a few more weeks. The results of this race have me feeling confident that I could have a solid race ahead of me in Boston.

– Janet

Follow me on Instagram @janetboltz

2023 was another solid year for me in terms of racing and staying active. Even though races are the big events where I get to apply my training and celebrate the hard work I’ve done, the daily training is probably even more significant overall. It’s become a way of life for me and I can barely go a day or two without doing something or I will feel “off.” Exercise brings so much positivity, confidence, and empowerment to my life that it makes perfect sense that I crave the constant movement. I kept moving quite a bit with 17 races on my schedule in 2023.

I favor the longer distances and only ran two 5Ks and one 10K last year. I did two 10-milers, and the half marathon continues to be my sweet spot – I ran five of those. I also ran two marathons, did four triathlons, a 5K swim, and ran a looped course enough times to rack up close to 25 miles. I had some pretty good variety in 2023. No real PRs other than completing a new distance, but still plenty of significant accomplishments.

One big goal for the year was to complete the “Run the Year” challenge. I ran over 2,100 miles in 2022 so I figured it was very doable. I usually don’t aim for mileage goals simply because I know injuries can pop up and I don’t want that goal in the back of my mind pushing me to do more when I should rest. Several friends created a team for the challenge and asked me to be a part of it so I agreed. It was a lot of fun to follow along with everyone’s activities and to encourage each other along the way. However, once December came along I was a bit concerned that I might not get all of those miles. I had put in a lot of miles throughout the year, but I also had a couple of tweaky spots that made me back off at times. I was relieved to get over 2,023 miles with just two days to spare. That cut it closer than I would have liked, but I did it! Thanks to encouragement (or peer pressure!) from friends, I signed up for the 2024 challenge as well.

With a couple days left to run after achieving my goal, I actually ran a total of 2,044 miles. When I looked at my training log a week before the end of the year, I realized I was close to hitting a big number for swimming as well. I was at 195 miles for the year at that point. I like the nice round numbers so I couldn’t resist doing a couple more big swims to get past 200 miles for the year. Biking is typically one of my lower priorities and I came in with 1,025 miles for the year.

Another big moment was running the Boston Marathon for my third time. Although I’ve run it a few times, the excitement that surrounds that race has not grown old. It motivated me to work extremely hard throughout the winter to prepare myself for the race. Hamstring issues that had lingered since the previous October finally lead me to physical therapy just weeks before the race. I was a little wary about how I might hold up, but I had a solid race. I was especially happy to BQ at Boston for my second time with a 3:37:18. My qualifying time is 3:40:00 so I made it by 2:42.

Although there had been no cutoff time for a couple years and everyone who had qualified actually made it into the race, I still felt a little wary about whether that would be enough of a buffer. I usually feel more comfortable if I have at least five minutes to spare. Because I’ve enjoyed running Boston SO much, I wanted to try to improve my qualifying time at a fall marathon. I had originally signed up for the Holland Haven half marathon in early September, then realized the race fell on the final weekend before the Boston-qualifying window would close for the 2024 race. I decided I better switch to the full marathon and give it a shot there. Good thing I did – I ran 3:34:19 which gave me a buffer of 5:41. I figured that was safe and didn’t realize until several weeks later that even a buffer that big would barely be enough. After sorting through all of the applicants, it was determined that people had to run 5:29 faster than their qualifying time to make the cutoff for 2024. I only made it by TWELVE seconds. I’m very thankful that I ran such a good race at Holland Haven, and I’m very thankful that I have the opportunity to run Boston again in 2024. I probably don’t need to go every year, but I’ve loved it so much each time I’ve gone that I still feel like if they’ll let me in, I’ll go!

Once again, Boston will keep me motivated to train extremely hard throughout the winter. I decided to go for it and commit to a fall marathon too – the Detroit Free Press Marathon. Registration opened on January 1 and I had decided a couple months ago that this should be the year that I FINALLY run the hometown race. It almost feels wrong to be a marathoner living in the Detroit area without having done that race. When I realized that there were several “challenges” available to sign up for, I couldn’t resist. I went all-in and signed up for “The Supreme,” which involves running the 1-mile race followed by the 5K on Saturday morning, then the full marathon on Sunday. I was inspired by my desire to make it to Disney World sometime soon where I’d love to run one of their crazy challenges. They offer the Goofy Challenge (half marathon and full marathon on back-to-back days) and the Dopey Challenge (5K, 10K, half, full). Running “The Supreme” in Detroit will give me a little taste of what that could be like.

Another fun thing about the past year was getting to be an ambassador for both Picky Bars and Epic Races. An ambassador (or “amBADASSador” in the case of Picky Bars!) basically shares the love and encourages others to get in on the fun. I swear by Picky Bars and eat them before running, during biking, after swimming, and any random time when I have a craving. It’s been fun to be an ambassador for them for a few years now.

It was my first time representing Epic Races which was a lot of fun too. I’ve done so many Epic Races in the past and have loved them so it was fitting to share my enthusiasm as an ambassador. I covered the Olympic distance at their Island Lake and Ann Arbor Triathlons. I did the Swim to the Moon 5K, I ran the Ann Arbor Half Marathon, and I loved doing the crazy 10-part Battle of Waterloo adventure triathlon once again. I worked really hard to prepare for Swim to the Moon and my fourth time doing the race was a good one. I’m thrilled that the Battle of Waterloo is back again in 2024 since it used to take place every other year. I’ve already committed to that and Swim to the Moon this year!

While talking about triathlons, probably the most significant accomplishment last year was doing my first 70.3/half Iron-distance race in Grand Rapids. I’ve told myself for years that I could do it and finally proved it to myself. It took me right around six hours to complete as I guessed it might, but I didn’t guess just how hard that run would be. I knew 56 miles on the bike would feel like forever and obviously it would slow me down for the run, but that half marathon was HARD. So what did I do? I went ahead and signed up for the race again this June! I also decided to try my first officially branded half Ironman in Sandusky, Ohio in July. Always pushing myself!

My closet and medal racks are practically overflowing after all of this racing. Here are 2023’s additions:

As always, one challenge heading into 2024 is to avoid or minimize injuries and random tweaks. I’m not real happy that I’ve slacked off a bit on strength training lately and need to make a point of doing more. I know it’s necessary to avoid developing weaknesses so I need to be more disciplined. I will see if putting TWO 70.3 races on my schedule makes me spend more time on the bike. Between those two races, the Boston and Detroit marathons, Swim to the Moon, and the Battle of Waterloo, I have a lot to look forward to and to help keep me motivated. There are a few other races already on my schedule too, and many more to come, I’m sure! 2023 was a solid year so I will hope for more of the same (or even better) in 2024.

– Janet

Follow me on Instagram @janetboltz and Twitter/X @reidphotography

The Holiday Hustle Half Marathon is a race that I looked into last year but it sold out before I committed to it. When I talked to my friend Amy at the end of October this year, she told me that she had signed up for it and reminded me that it could sell out. I’m often wary about signing up for races too far in advance when winter weather can be a factor, and I knew it could be on December 2, but I decided to go for it and signed up a month before the race. There were several options for race swag and I chose to get a cute beanie rather than collect another shirt. I was excited to see that there was also an option to add on a post-race meal from Sunset Ridge BBQ. The hat, lunch, and knowing I’d get to hang out with Amy got me even more excited about the race.

The race took place in Dexter, MI which is a little northwest of Ann Arbor. Although I’ve thought about it, I have never run the Dexter-Ann Arbor Half Marathon and had never visited Dexter prior to this race. I always enjoy taking the opportunity to check out a new area. The 11am start was especially nice because even with a drive of an hour and 15 minutes, I didn’t leave the house until 8:30.

The race started and finished outside of Erratic Ale Co. Rather than park in the dirt/mud lots by the brewery, I found plenty of paved parking a couple blocks away. I walked over to collect my hat and bib number, which happened to be number one. I’m not quite sure how I ended up with that. No pressure or anything! I knew it wasn’t likely that I’d live up to those expectations.

Because I got there so early, I had plenty of time to run a couple of miles to warm up. I ran through part of downtown Dexter to the path along the Huron River that would be a part of our race route. I came across some boardwalks that concerned me a little bit. It wasn’t raining anymore, but it had rained earlier and the boardwalks were a little wet. I’m thankful that temperature was in the high 30s. Had it been any colder those surfaces could have been dicey! I found that I was able to run on the boardwalks without slipping so it reassured me that I would be okay during the race.

After warming up for a couple miles I headed back to the brewery to line up for the the start of the race. I saw someone with a 1:45 pace sign and stood near them. I figured I should be able to run faster than an 8:00 pace but would start there and speed up. Because there is limited space on the path, it was nice to hear that the race would have a staggered start so it wouldn’t get too congested. The first wave started at 11:00 and the crowd was cut off at the 1:45 pacer, so we went off in the second wave.

Apparently plenty of other people who lined up near me planned to run faster than 1:45 as well because it was a fast start and I found myself caught up in the flow of the people around me. My first mile was a 7:37. I didn’t intend to start that fast and it probably wasn’t the smartest move. We ran through a little bit of mud as we ran away from the brewery, and the boardwalk suddenly felt a little more slick when I was running faster. I still didn’t have any issues with actually slipping but I was wary. Fortunately the path was mostly paved after the first mile. We ran somewhere around 4.5 miles along the Border to Border Trail which took us to Hudson Mills Metropark.

After my fast start, I slowed down a little bit but could feel that I was still pushing pretty hard. I kept myself distracted for nearly the whole race by making an effort to run the tangents. It seemed like the path was constantly winding so I tried to visualize a straight line from one curve to the next to help myself from adding extra distance to my race. I can often end up with a tenth of a mile extra distance by the end of a half marathon. I did my best to try to run the shortest path I could while also hoping I didn’t annoy people around me as I’d cut from one side of the path to the other!

We had a 3-mile loop to run once we got to Hudson Mills Metropark. I ran a turkey trot there years ago but it had been long enough that I didn’t remember much and the scenery felt new to me. There were a few spots there that had a bunch of spectators while there were very few along the rest of the course. It was also busier at the park because people who ran the relay made their exchange there.

After running that loop it was time to head back the same way we came. It was nice to be distracted by runners headed the opposite direction for a little bit, but then it was back to attempting to run tangents when I could and just trying to survive. The course had some rolling hills and although there weren’t any major climbs, the constant rolling made things pretty challenging.

It probably felt extra challenging to me because I started faster than I should have. I haven’t really been training to maintain that kind of pace for that long and eventually it caught up with me. I managed to stay under an 8:00 pace for the first half of the race, but a few miles in the 8:00s crept in during the second half. No more 7:40s like the first half – I was in the 7:50s or slower. That was still a pretty good pace but it was tough to maintain it and I could really feel myself working. When I got back to the boardwalk stretch, somehow it felt even more slick than it had on the way out. That didn’t help my pace any since I was so cautious about the lack of traction. It’s a good thing I didn’t wear my best racing shoes because those really don’t have any traction and it would have been trouble!

I didn’t have a fast finish at this race because I was pretty spent, and even after getting past the boardwalks, the race ended in the dirt/mud outside of the brewery. That didn’t exactly allow for a solid sprint even if I had it in me.

I finished in 1:42:19 and realized later that it was actually my fastest half marathon out of the five that I ran this year. Maybe my number one bib was representative of something after all!

Looking back at my splits, it seems like I took the WRONG approach to this race. It usually isn’t a good thing when my first mile is the fastest mile of the race. I ran a positive split too – the second half was definitely slower than the first half. Maybe some of that could be attributed to the rolling course and slick boardwalks, but for the most part, it’s likely that I started too fast and couldn’t maintain it. Racing feels a whole lot better when I start slower and speed up as I go. In the end it all worked out since I ran my best time of the year. It just didn’t feel great the way I did it!

Since it was around 40 degrees I knew I better get back to my car quickly for more clothes. I couldn’t resist posing for a festive photo when I saw a wreath along the way.

Even with the extra layers I could only stand the cold for so long before I had to head into the brewery. I enjoyed the soft pretzel treat that I received at the finish line. That was something different from the usual post-race options and I loved it!

Amy and I finally caught up with each other in the brewery and eventually we went out to the food truck to collect the meals we had signed up for. By then the brewery was too full so we had to sit outside. Luckily the heat lamps worked well enough! The BBQ sampler plate was so good that half of it was gone before I even thought to take a picture. It was a great environment for a post-race celebration and we enjoyed hanging out for a bit before heading home.

This wasn’t one of my smoother races but I’m glad I did it. It was nice to check out another section of the Border to Border Trail and to do a lap around Hudson Mills Metropark. I might have to keep this route in mind for a future run or bike ride. I may be a little iffy about signing up early for this race knowing that any snow or cold temps could make the boardwalks more risky than I like. It’s a chance you take with this race since it has sold out in advance two years in a row. I can understand why – it was a nice, challenging course with a fun party included. Even though I may have been a little ambitious with my pacing and went through some suffering, it was nice that my fifth (and last) half marathon of the year ended up being my fastest.  

– Janet

Follow me on Instagram @janetboltz and Twitter/X @reidphotography

Since there are so many racing opportunities available on Thanksgiving, the last few years I’ve decided that it almost feels almost like a must for me to run some kind of turkey trot. I chose to run the Mighty Gobbler 5K in Troy, Michigan for the second year in a row. Running the same course would be a good way to compare my results and see if I improved. Most of all, the convenience factor was my deciding choice. The race takes place a couple miles away from my mom’s house which makes it really easy to head over there afterward.

The race takes place just west of Somerset Mall near the old Kmart headquarters. The headquarters have been empty since 2006, and demolition finally began just a week before the race. That provided an interesting apocalyptic backdrop!

Packet pickup took place at Luthern Church of the Master which is right next to the massive parking lot where the race was based. I chose to get my stuff the morning of the race over an hour before it began. That gave me plenty of time to check in with Greg Sadler, my favorite race photographer, as he set up his gear by the finish line. I usually see him at events hosted by Epic Races, but I lucked out because he ended up shooting this non-Epic race too! I didn’t have very good finish line photos last year and knew I could count on Greg to do an excellent job.

It was in the 30s which was a bit chilly and I knew I definitely needed to do a warm up jog before the race. There was a mile race that started at 8:30, so most of those people had finished by the time I headed out 15 minutes later. I jogged for a mile and tried to pick up the pace a few times because I remembered how much the cold had bothered me last year when I tried to run fast. I am definitely much more of a long-distance, endurance kind of runner and don’t especially enjoy the all-out pace of a 5K. Temps in the 30s wouldn’t be a problem for a longer distance race, but huffing and puffing as fast as I could for the 5K last year led to pain around my diaphragm. I hoped I could avoid that discomfort this year!

There was a large crowd for the 5K – over 900 people.

As I warmed up 10 minutes before the race, I was kind of shocked to see that a bunch of cars were still pulling into the parking lot. Arriving that late would stress me out SO MUCH! It was a reminder that turkey trots tend to draw a different crowd than many of the races I usually run. Thanksgiving is the most popular day for running a road race and it’s cool to see how many families come out to run together. A lot of people don’t seem to really know where they ought to line up based on pace though, which can make the starting mile a little messy. I know that kids like to take off really fast so I should stand behind them, but I was fairly close to the starting line otherwise. At 9:00 we were off!

I try to be patient knowing that I may have to weave around people at the beginning of a race like this. I had wrongly assumed that a group of kids in front of me would be much faster than I would be. I heard them joke about how they ought to form a line, inferring that no one could get around them if they did that. I know they were being silly and having fun, but they were so bunched together that it made it difficult for me find a break in the the crowd so I could get around them. I kept telling myself that a lot of people are just there for fun, to be patient, and once I got away from the start I’d be able to settle into my own pace.

I had to do a bit more weaving throughout the first mile as I caught up with people who probably started faster than they could maintain for the whole race. Eventually I got into a better rhythm when I made it into the neighborhood where the majority of the race took place.

The race is nice and flat and a few people were scattered throughout the neighborhood to cheer for the runners. I was thankful that I didn’t have any diaphragm pain this year. However, I have been dealing with a cold and the congestion added an extra level of annoyance while breathing so hard!

Now and then I like to push myself and realize that I have some speed in me that I don’t tap into very often. I usually end up surprising myself by going faster than I expect during a 5K. Last year I didn’t do any speedwork to prepare for the race and still did pretty well. This year I did a few speed sessions in the weeks leading up to the race and was curious to see if it would help. Maybe I needed more than a few sessions to make progress, maybe the cold made it challenging for me, and maybe being sick made it a little more difficult. I didn’t end up going any faster, but I still ran a decent race.

My official time was 22:44 – nine seconds slower than last year. I didn’t improve like I had hoped to, but I was satisfied with getting so close to what I had done last time.

I got my picture taken with one of the turkeys that lined the finishing stretch after I got my medal.

When I finished the race, both the cold air and the cold I was suffering from really hit. I’ve been okay while running lately, but a coughing fit often hits as soon as I stop. It was especially bad after having run so fast. I collected water and a Clif bar that I took back to my car as I tried to take deep breaths. I don’t do cool down jogs after racing very often like I probably ought to, and I suspected it could be a wise thing to do this time. Trying to run while I was struggling to breathe might seem like the WRONG thing to do, but once I calmed down enough, doing an easy jog helped me settle down. Coming to a complete stop after running really hard doesn’t feel great. Easing into the end of my running for the morning was definitely helpful and the coughing was minimal after that.

I hung out for the awards ceremony since I had placed third in my age group. That was good for a glass and a pair of gloves with the Mighty Gobbler logo on them!

I headed out to my mom’s after the awards and it was especially nice to get there just a few minutes later. It’s pretty rare to have a race take place so close to home!

I still feel like I have a lot of untapped potential in the 5K. I need to do speedwork more often if I want to see what I’m capable of. I don’t know what the ideal conditions are for me but it would probably help if it was 10-20° warmer! It was good for me to get out there and try to run fast to give me a little motivation to attempt doing that more often. It was also nice to be a part of the Thanksgiving tradition of running a turkey trot. I’ll get back to my comfort zone next weekend when I’ll run a half marathon!

– Janet

Follow me on Instagram @janetboltz and Twitter/X @reidphotography

The Grand Rapids Half Marathon is a race that I spontaneously added to my schedule two and a half weeks before the Sunday, October 15 race day. I knew I should be due for some downtime after I finished the Holland Haven Marathon in September yet I still chose to run the Ann Arbor Half Marathon a few weeks later. When my first week back to running after Holland Haven seemed to go smoothly I figured I could manage to add one more race. Maybe after THAT I’d really take a break!

When I did the Grand Rapids Triathlon this summer, I talked to Don Kern, the race director for the Grand Rapids Marathon. I mentioned that his marathon had been my first 10 years ago and he told me they’d be celebrating 20 years this fall. He said that I should come, but I was skeptical because I knew it wouldn’t be a great idea for me to try to run a second fall marathon when I typically only run a couple a year. I started to question if I ought to consider the half though…

Don Kern is very inspirational and also very influential, and I blame (and thank) him for putting the idea in my head. His book, and the adventure continues, is filled with great stories of a self-proclaimed ordinary guy doing extraordinary things. He has run hundreds of marathons and I’d love to reach a level of fitness at some point where I can do that without battling injuries. Don truly is an inspiration to me. I couldn’t resist the idea of marking the tenth anniversary of my first marathon back where I started.

I had run the half and full marathon in Grand Rapids one time each. The half marathon in 2017 was especially memorable because it took place in the pouring rain. What a relief that the rain came the day before the race this year and cleared out by race day!

I drove a couple hours to Grand Rapids the day before the race and resisted buying anything at the expo. Even as I left I kept thinking about how I really wanted a jacket. The Brooks Canopy jacket is my favorite when it’s wet outside. I thought about how often I’ve wished I had another while my two have been sitting in the dirty laundry basket. I decided that I would pick one up after running the race.

I spent some time at a mall then made the same stops I did before the Grand Rapids Triathlon – Noodles & Company for dinner, then treats from Detroit Cookie Company to enjoy after the race. Maybe I snuck one for dessert that night too though.

A number of “velocity-challenged” people started the race an hour early at 7:00 but 8:00 was the official starting time. Arriving at 6:45 was just right for parking and I watched the remaining spots in my lot fill just minutes later. 

I am very appreciative of the great YMCA facility that hosts the expo and opens its doors to the runners before and after the race. It was a chilly morning in the 40s and even with a little bit of a line, I was glad I could wait inside where it was warm to use a real bathroom.

I stayed warm outside by running just under a mile before parting with my warm clothes at the bag drop. Once I got to the starting corral I was able to use the sidewalk to work my way around the crowded street until I found the appropriate place to line up based on my pace. 

One thing I love about this race is the use of celebrity pace teams. Paces are based on the finishing times of celebrities who have run marathons. On this day I hoped that I would run a little faster than an 8:00 pace so I lined up just in front of Gordon Ramsay’s Bleeping Pace Team.

We hit the streets of downtown Grand Rapids and ran through some residential areas and past some businesses for a few miles. I enjoyed running across a bridge about three miles into the run that took us more into the heart of downtown and past places like the DeVos Place convention center. The crowds really lined the street there and made it a fun stretch of the race. 

Spectators that caught my attention included a person with a cat on a leash and a guy with an acoustic guitar who played the “Seven Nation Army” riff from the White Stripes. Both definitely made me smile.

After 2-3 more miles we got to Butterworth Park. It’s out in the open and since it was a cloudy and cool morning, I had no concerns about the sun beating down.

I remembered that the half marathon would break off to the left at some point and turn onto some trails. I spent a mile or two thinking that turn would come sooner than it actually did. There were a few slight hills to climb before that but nothing too taxing or difficult.

The turn finally came somewhere between miles eight and nine and the half runners split from the marathoners. I had remained pretty consistent with a pace in the 7:40s-7:50s the whole time. I was hopeful that I’d be able to run faster than the 8:08 pace I had averaged a couple weeks prior in Ann Arbor so things were going well. The Grand Rapids course is flatter and the weather was cooler, but I still didn’t know what to expect from my fitness level. I haven’t been running anything faster than an 8:00 pace lately and wondered how I had managed to keep it going for that long. Somehow being in a crowd of people made it feel easier.

Once I made it through 10 miles I figured I could give a little more effort for the last 5K. Since I still felt okay at that point I hoped I wasn’t likely to crash by the end. The flat trails provided some nice scenery with the beginnings of some fall colors in spots.

We turned back into Butterworth Park and I was disoriented for a few seconds when I saw people running the opposite direction. I realized where we were and that some people were on their way out. It was a nice distraction watching some of the other runners/walkers.

When I made it back to the streets for the final mile or so I tried to push as much as I could. I heard someone playing “Hurts So Good” by John Mellencamp which seemed especially appropriate. I realized the person was dressed as the Grim Reaper with a sign that said, “The end is near.” That was a good way to make me smile even as I was really feeling my effort. My left hamstring that has been problematic for the past year tightened up during the last couple miles but I still managed to keep pushing. I thought about how I may as well give it all I had since it might be my last race for a little bit.

The final straightaway was kind of long and I could see the white finishing banner off in the distance. That motivated me enough to drop down close to a 7:00 pace for the last quarter mile or more. I knew I had been averaging somewhere around a 7:47 pace by the later miles, but once I started pushing I didn’t look at my watch. I didn’t play my usual game of trying to calculate what my finishing time might be. When I finally checked my results a few minutes after crossing the finish line, I was pretty excited to see that my time was 1:42:32. I had run 1:46 in Ann Arbor and kind of hoped I’d run a 1:45 or better at this race. I was very happy with 1:42! That was about a minute faster than my 2017 rainy run on the course.

It took a couple minutes to catch my breath then I went over to Don Kern who greets every one of the finishers. He really adds a great personal touch to this race.

A few minutes later I thought about how I wanted to get a selfie with him since he was the whole reason I had shown up for this race. I waited for enough of a break in the finishers so I wouldn’t interrupt him from congratulating others. You can tell from my grin that I was happy that he humored my request.

Then it was time to work my way through the tables of food. This race does it the right way! Chocolate milk, bagels, fruit, fruit chews, string cheese, yogurt, chips, Culver’s frozen custard – anything you could want! THAT’S what I like to see at the end of a big race! They also had a tent with New Holland Beer and hot dogs by that tent. I had so much food that I needed to find a place to set it all down and get situated! 

My next mission was to get to the gear check area as soon as I could. I was sweaty and got cold quickly in the 40-50° temps. Even with my warm clothes I was still shivering. Eating frozen custard at that point probably didn’t help! 

Again, I was thankful for the YMCA. It probably would have been wise to bring stuff to shower there since they allowed it. I noticed that some people took bags into the locker room first thing in the morning so it would be there waiting for them after the race. At least I was able to warm my hands under hot water for several minutes until I got the color back in my fingers and the numbness faded. That’s always a big problem for me when I cool down too much after running. I put my gloves on and felt fine for my walk back to the car so I could head home.

It may have been a questionable choice to run two half marathons within five weeks of running a marathon but fortunately it all worked out. After running a couple of hill repeats during the week leading up to this race, I felt a strain in my quad. I was lucky that taking three days off of running seemed to fix it and I was able to do this race without worrying too much. Still – as much as I’d love to be one of those runners who can do a bunch of marathons a year, I also know that I have to be careful and make sure my body has time to heal. I have raced a lot this year which has been a blast, but I think I should back off for a little bit. At least until it’s time for some turkey trotting!

– Janet

Follow me on Instagram @janetboltz and Twitter/X @reidphotography

After years of thinking that I should really try running the Ann Arbor Marathon, I finally got around to doing the half marathon for my first time last year. I enjoyed it so much that I decided I should make a point of fitting it into my race schedule whenever I can. Even though I knew I would be running the Holland Haven Marathon three weeks before the race, I was hopeful that I’d recover enough to be able to try the half again. If not, I could always consider switching down to the 5K or 10K instead.

I took a week off following my marathon and had a surprisingly smooth return to running. I still didn’t want to push my luck too much and knew I wouldn’t attempt to “race” it, but at least I felt like I should be able to get through the distance. I made the very questionable choice of attending a concert the night before the race where I stood in one spot for several hours then only got a few hours of sleep. Although it didn’t seem like I was doing the right things to set myself up for a great race, somehow everything worked out.

The race took place on Sunday, October 1, and it was a bit rough getting up that morning to leave by 5:45. It was a beautiful morning though and a great day for a race. While I had parked by Michigan Stadium last year, I ended up in the Kerrytown area this year because the start and finish of the race moved into the heart of downtown Ann Arbor. I loved that change! I walked 4-5 blocks to the race area where I got my shirt and bib, made a bathroom stop, then I headed out to warm up.

The sun was just starting to rise and I headed east so I could enjoy the view. I thought I’d run out half a mile and back so I’d just do a mile to warm up. Once I got to the main part of campus I couldn’t help but extend my run. It kind of blows my mind that it’s been over 20 years since I graduated from the University of Michigan, and every time I get back on campus I love it SO much. I ended up covering a couple miles during my warm up. It was around 50 degrees and I truly did warm up enough that it felt perfect for running.

My only real goal for the day was to enjoy the experience. I guessed that I could finish somewhere in the 1:45-1:50 range but I truly didn’t have a time goal. I saw one of the official pacers who would be aiming for an 8:35 pace in the starting corral and lined up a bit behind him. I figured I shouldn’t start much faster than that but ended up running 8:15 for my first mile. Oops. Obviously I felt better than I had expected to!

While we had started the race on the southern side of town last year, starting half a mile north of that provided a whole other level of excitement and scenery. We ran past shops and restaurants at the very beginning, then went by landmark after landmark – the Michigan Theater, the State Theatre, Angell Hall, the art museum, and the law quad. I LOVED it! 

Since my whole plan was to just enjoy the race day atmosphere, I had already planned to take some pictures along the course. My shorts have a pocket where I keep my phone and it was easy to grab it and take some quick shots while on the move. When I saw how pretty the sky looked, the photographer side of me felt giddy. The sea of runners, the scenery, and the early sun behind the clouds made everything look so picturesque. Combining my passions of running and photography provided a really energizing start to the run.

We did a little bit of climbing in the first mile or so. After a couple miles around campus we went out to Geddes Ave. and Huron River Drive for several miles where we had a few downhill stretches that helped me build some good momentum. Despite plans of “running easy,” I suppose that’s how I ended up running 8:02 then 7:54 for miles three and four.

Next we ran a few miles along the scenic Border to Border (B2B) Trail by the Huron River. I went out there to run once during the summer, plus I had run there during the race last year so there was a level of comfort that came with that familiarity. I enjoyed more scenery which included a few little spots of fall colors starting to appear.

We ran past a field where a soccer game was in progress, then out to Fuller Road which took us toward the hospital. I knew that’s where the course would get more difficult! There’s a bit of a climb going up Medical Center Drive, then things level out for a bit heading into Nichols Arboretum. That’s where I started to see some of the people in the 10K race, which had started half an hour after the full and half marathon.

It was nice to change things up and get a little trail running in, but it also meant we had to climb “the Arb hill” – one of the harder parts of the course. It’s really not THAT bad, but I definitely felt it since I’d run 11 miles by that point. After getting past that hill, there’s a little stretch of false hope where it gets easier followed by one last climb toward Observatory Street.

Climbing toward the medical center, then the Arb, then toward Observatory all within a mile or so clearly affected my pace, taking it from 8:10 for the eleventh mile to 8:31 for the twelfth. Things flatten out around campus though and it was easy for me to pick up the pace knowing that the end was near. The last mile followed the same route as the first mile of the race and I saw some of the faster marathon runners who were headed back out for a second loop of the course. It was fun to run through town again and I felt like I was flying pretty easily as I headed up State Street, down Liberty, then just a quick turn to the finish line. My pace dropped to 7:35 for the last mile – my fastest of the day. There was a bit of a downhill finish that definitely helped!

I have done so many Epic Races this year and will always rave about getting to see my favorite photographer Greg Sadler at the finish. I think I was working too hard to give a real big smile, but he still got some nice shots of me and greeted me with a celebratory hand slap as I ran by.

I finished in 1:46:34 which was within my estimated range of 1:45-1:50. I was about six minutes slower than last year but I was also in peak shape about to run a marathon at that point while I was in marathon recovery mode this time. It’s still probably a little faster than I needed to go, but at least I clearly backed off a little?

I enjoyed the usual great Epic post-race treats of a breakfast burrito, pancakes, and a chocolate chip cookie, then followed up with an ice cream sandwich.

I noticed the tent for Probility Physical Therapy had open tables where therapists were working on people. Nothing felt too problematic after this race but my left side is never really “normal” so I signed up. I mentioned my hamstring that has been an issue for the last year and the therapist worked on that along with identifying problem spots around my hip and glute as well. All of my usual issues! I figured it couldn’t hurt to get worked on a little bit before I started to tighten up.

I scanned the QR code on my bib to find my results and saw that someone who did the 10K had the same number as me. Her results showed but mine didn’t. While I was walking around I happened to see Eva Solomon, the wonderful race director, and stopped her to ask who I could talk to about my results. She told me that a number of bibs had been duplicated and it was a known issue they would have to work out. I knew I hadn’t placed in my age group and was in no rush to get the results, and it was all sorted out by the next day. 

After getting a picture by the podium backdrop, I ventured out to enjoy more time around campus and racked up several more miles by walking so much. Whenever I see that there’s a Detroit Cookie Company close by I try to take advantage of it. I got a few cookies and an awesome cinnamon roll. It was a perfect day to wander around and I spent more time thinking about how much I love that school and town.

Having a great experience two years in a row really confirmed how much I enjoy this race. It felt a little risky and ambitious for me to run a half a few weeks after my marathon but I’m glad I still went for it. A little bit of post-race soreness tells me that I should back off a bit to make sure I recover properly, but crazy me has also signed up for the half at the Grand Rapids Marathon meaning I’ll be back at it in just a couple weeks. Maybe after THAT race I’ll rest a bit more!

– Janet

Follow me on Instagram @janetboltz and Twitter @reidphotography

When I registered for the Holland Haven Marathon last November I signed up for the half marathon. It was a race that had been on my to-do list for a while and I decided to make an early commitment to the 2023 race to make sure I would finally do it. By Memorial Day weekend I decided to transfer up to the full marathon and make it my twelfth marathon.

The main motivation for making the swap was due to my concern about getting accepted for the 2024 Boston Marathon. The qualifying time for my age group is 3:40:00. After running 3:37:18 in Boston this past April, I began to question if a 2:42 buffer would be enough. 

In 2022 and 2023, all qualifiers who submitted times for the race were accepted. I wondered if that was partially due to fewer people traveling to the race following COVID-19 or fewer people having run marathons during pandemic times that allowed them to qualify. In 2019, runners needed a time that was 4:52 faster than the standard in order to be accepted because so many people had applied. The qualifying times were adjusted to be five minutes faster after that race so maybe that leveled things out more.

I’ve run Boston three times and have had a blast each time. I don’t know if I’ll feel the need to run it every year, but for now, if I get accepted and am able to go, I will probably jump at the opportunity. Holland Haven took place days before the 2023 qualifying window would close so it would be my last chance to try to improve my time.

I struggled through a bunch of warm and humid runs this summer and questioned if I was really prepared to run a faster time. In the days leading up to the race I had to remind myself that it’s rare that I follow a training plan perfectly and things usually work out just fine. Things came together in the final month as I ran a couple of solid races, then my last 20-mile training run was especially strong. I was still acclimated to the heat and humidity and it looked like cool temperatures were going to hit just in time for the race. I was hopeful that this was going to be a good one.

The race took place on Sunday, September 10, and I made the three-hour drive out to Holland the day before. My first destination was Holland State Park so I could check out the beach. It was a beautiful day along Lake Michigan. 

I went to downtown Holland next to check out some of the stores before packet pickup started at 3:00. When I got to Gazelle Sports it was hopping! I picked up my bib and shirt, browsed a little, then drove to my hotel that was about 10 minutes away. I wanted to do more sightseeing but also knew I should be smart and rest my legs. I got some buttered noodles with chicken for dinner at Noodles and Company and was disciplined enough to relax at the hotel after that. 

I left the hotel by 5:30 on race morning after getting some fairly decent sleep. I parked in a lot near Gazelle again and walked a quarter mile up the road to the finishing area by CrossFit Holland. I stood around in the dark for 10-15 minutes until busses came at 5:45 and I was the first one on. After missing a chartered bus when I ran Boston in ‘22, I’ve made a point of being extra early so I don’t run that risk again! This was a point-to-point race meaning we’d start in Grand Haven and run south back down to Holland. The bus was not packed and I realized that a bunch of people probably had family or friends drive them to the start so they didn’t need the bus. That was confirmed later in the morning as the parking lots and roads around Rosy Mound Elementary filled up.

Just before the bus dropped me off to wait outside the school, I began to feel tightness in my chest from anxiety. I race constantly so I don’t know why I still get worked up. Even though this would be my twelfth marathon the distance is still very intimidating. When we got to the school I sat on a curb and read a book on my phone which helped keep me distracted and reduced some of the anxiety. 

I saw a few people tucking their arms into their t-shirts to stay warm and was especially glad that I had layered up. It was in the 50s and I literally had cold feet. As we got closer to the start of the race at 7:30 I ran just over half a mile to try to warm up. I took my warm clothes to gear check then went to line up. 

I was aware that the race would take place on a six-foot path, but when I realized we would all start the race on that path and not out on the road I worried about the congestion factor. The marathon had just under 400 participants, making it the smallest crowd I’ve had for a marathon. Quite a difference from the 30,000 people at my last marathon! Still – get that many people on one path and it gets crowded! I positioned myself fairly close to the front and it all worked out.

The race director Eddie Kline held up the huge medal before we started and told us it was the carrot we were chasing. We’d have to get through the whole thing because he knew we wanted that medal! 

The start was very low-key. No announcements, music, or anything. Suddenly it was time to start and I realized my sunglasses were still in my fuel belt. I fumbled with them as I started to run and felt totally unprepared! 

At least I seemed to start in the right spot. A few people ran past me but I really didn’t have to battle any congestion. Sometimes my first mile of a race is on the slow side as I work through the crowd and warm up. That clearly wasn’t an issue for me this time. I ran the first mile in 7:52 despite telling myself I shouldn’t go below an 8:00 pace. I knew I could get myself into trouble later in the race by starting too fast so I tried to slow down. I ran the second mile in 7:59 then stayed above 8:00 after that.

After running in warm temps all summer, it felt amazing to start the race in the 50s. My hands were actually cold for the first few miles! The sun had just begun to rise but the path had trees that kept us in the shade for the majority of the run.

We spent 17 miles of the marathon running along Lakeshore Ave. It’s the main road that runs close to Lake Michigan but we didn’t get many glimpses of the water. We mostly had a view of fancy homes that DO have that waterfront view.

I didn’t think there would be many spectators but the nice part about running so much of the race down one road was that it made it easy for people to drive along the course. They were able to pull off on the shoulders or side roads, wait for their people to come by, then continue down the road to catch them in another spot. I was thankful for people who cheered for me or lifted my spirits by blaring stuff like Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off” from their cars. I loved when one group hung out of the car windows as they enthusiastically sang along to Tag Team’s “Whoomp! There It Is.”

My spirits were also lifted early in the race when I got to the first aid station and was greeted by my Instagram friend Brandi. She lives in Grand Haven so when she saw that I’d be running the race, she said she hoped to cheer me on. She would be at an aid station with her running club. She saw me coming and ran up to me with a cup of water and yelled “Janet!!” She made me smile then I felt guilty just taking the water and continuing my run! It would have been nice to stop and actually talk but I was on a mission and she had more water to hand out. Still, it made me smile for a bit and I was so glad to see her.

The crowd and the excitement at the half marathon mark must have psyched me up too because that was the one other time I dropped below an 8:00 pace. I ran the next mile in 7:58. So far I have managed to run one marathon around that pace, but I wasn’t convinced I’d put in enough successful speedwork during this training segment to aim for my usual goal pace of 8:00. Leading up to the race I told myself I ought to run around 8:10-8:15 pace. That might be more reasonable and I could push harder at the end if I had it in me. However…it was nice and cool. My Garmin estimated that I could run a 3:30 marathon. Maybe I was doubting myself more than I needed to and could actually pull it off? I knew going for it could be a little risky, but sometimes you don’t reach your potential if you don’t try.

My pace fluctuated a little bit throughout the first 20 miles but I was pretty consistent. I’d run somewhere around 8:09-8:13 for a mile, then drop back down to 8:03-8:04 for the next few miles. The course was relatively flat with what I’d consider a few kind of sidewalk “humps” that created a quick incline followed by a quick decline. There were a few little hills along the way but nothing too bad. Each time I came to one I told myself that it was good to use some different muscles for a little bit.

As I got further into the race, it turned into a countdown. 10 miles left? Less than an hour and a half to go. 19 miles? Maybe only an hour more! I kept talking my way through it. I’d picture certain distances along my usual running routes and tell myself it was just like running from a certain point back to home and I could totally do that. I ran 8:09 for mile 20, but the slowdown became a little more obvious after that. I stayed in the 8:10s for the next few miles, then ran an 8:36 for mile 24 and an 8:41 for mile 25. I really dragged through several long runs this summer and although it felt miserable at the time, it also helped make me stronger. When I slowed down to the 8:30s and 8:40s I was able to tell myself that I was still running faster than some of those long runs. I wasn’t dragging THAT much and I was doing fine.

I thought about my friend Jan who had walked 17 miles on Friday and 12 miles on Saturday for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day in Chicago. I thought about my friend Kurt who had just completed a 100K that weekend! Their feats helped reassure me that I could keep pushing. I saw a woman spectating on crutches multiple times throughout the race. For all I knew she might be an injured runner who wished she could be out there participating. That made me think of a Toad the Wet Sprocket song I had listened to days before the race – “I Will Not Take These Things For Granted.” I am fortunate that I am able to do this and took time to recognize that.

Going into the race I suspected I might be capable of running a 3:34 marathon. It seems to be a sweet spot for me since that’s been my time in several races. I had it in my head to keep pushing in hopes of getting that 3:34. As I made the final turn toward the finish line, I knew I had done it. I was thrilled when I saw my friend Amy in the road cheering me on! Her friend Carmen was out there doing the same and it made me so happy.

I finished in 3:34:19 and was SO excited. The goal of the race was to improve my 3:37 time and I had done it by three minutes! I had nearly a six-minute buffer for my Boston-qualifying time and that should be enough to ensure I would get in! 

I may not have approached race the smartest way but I still got it done. It was risky going a little faster than I suspected I should and I kind of paid for it with a few tough miles at the end. Sometimes you’ve just gotta go for it though and I achieved my goal for the day!

I definitely paid for it when I came to a sudden stop after crossing the finish line. That always feels brutal after moving for 3.5 hours. A volunteer told me it was okay for me to sit on top of one of the water coolers so I did. I called out to Amy who was just outside of the finishing corral and told her I was fine but had to sit for a moment. I got up after a couple minutes and made my way to her and Carmen and celebrated excitedly. I knew I still had to be a little cautious though because I didn’t feel great. I leaned against a wall and felt like I needed oxygen or something. I told Amy and Carmen that it might be smart for me to go to medical just in case. At the very least I knew I better sit because I didn’t want to be walking around if I felt short of breath. I sat on a cot in the medical tent and the woman there was great. I didn’t even know Carmen yet and she was so helpful, finding something that allowed me to make an ice wrap that I could put on my neck and head.

Amy was great about getting food and trying to get me to eat. I tried a fruit chew but my mouth was so dry it was hard to eat. Everyone was kind about getting water for me to make sure I rehydrated and eventually that helped me eat a pretzel or two at least. I was so thankful for their help and patience while I tried to feel a bit more normal. After 10 minutes or so I felt good enough to get up and check out some of the post-race activities.

I was able to eat a bag of Ruffles which helped me get some sodium at least. I very rarely eat hot dogs anymore so those weren’t appealing, and Amy did not recommend the other option of the chicken sausage that she had. A look at it confirmed that for me! My stomach was pretty wrecked from the race so I wasn’t taking any risks at that point. 

There was a “Paws-athon” presented by the Harbor Humane Society and we were so excited to visit with the three puppies that were there and available for adoption. Puppies should be a part of every race celebration area as far as I’m concerned!

Amy checked the results and notified me that I was the female masters winner. What?! I never place in a marathon! I guess that was a bonus for doing a small race. The female winner was in my age group so she placed in the overall category. I was next in line for the 40-44 age group and since I topped all of the women 40+, that got me the masters win! Amy had placed third in her age group for the half marathon and Carmen placed second in her age group for the 8K, so we all went to collect pins.

I got my stuff from gear check and Amy was kind enough to give me a couple of stickers!

Then we went to the merch area and I bought a jacket that I had eyed the day before at Gazelle.

We took advantage of ALL of the photo opportunities next.

It was so nice to hang out with Amy and Carmen after the race and I knew they had been there much longer than me. Amy had finished her race an hour before me! After making sure I was okay, we parted ways. I had hoped to look for some good treats in downtown Holland but my stomach kept giving me problems. At least I ate a protein bar, but just when I thought I was ready to start the drive home, I had to make another stop. The three-hour drive back home seemed a little dicey! Eventually I headed out and drove for about half an hour but decided I better make a stop in Grand Rapids. I went to Panera and had a nice chocolate croissant, and since I knew Detroit Cookie Company was close by, I stopped for a box of cookies to take home. I made another stop an hour later to eat a bagel and snacked on some pretzel crisps while I drove. Thankfully I held up well enough for the rest of the drive.

Now I’m due for a little downtime. I DO have the Ann Arbor half marathon on my schedule which falls three weeks after this marathon. I’ll see how I feel as that gets closer. I certainly won’t have any goals and will just try to enjoy it if I feel up for it. No more heavy training for me though until the end of December when I will start working toward Boston, assuming I get accepted. It’s kind of nice that I’ve completed my fall marathon so early in the season. I usually don’t race until October or November!

Another major bonus about the timing of this race is that as the qualifying window for Boston 2024 was about to close, it was already open for 2025. That means I am able to use my time from this race for both years! The pressure to run a fast marathon is off for next year. That leaves me open to be more flexible with my racing plans. Rather than doing a fall marathon in 2024, I might try doing a 50K or something else.

It’s kind of funny to think about how I spent months and months training and working so hard, and just like that, it’s over in 3.5 hours. I almost don’t know what to do with myself when I finally have a break from my routine. I know it’s important to rest and recover, but I know I won’t be able to resist getting back to it soon.

– Janet

Follow me on Instagram @janetboltz and Twitter @reidphotography

The Crim Festival of Races has become a staple in my running schedule and I ran the 10-mile race for my sixth time on Saturday, August 26. It’s gotten to the point where I can’t remember how many times I’ve done it anymore and have to go back to check! I’m still a long way off from reaching the 30-year club, of which there are many members. I think that speaks to the popularity of the race. I continue to return because it’s a challenging course, a well-run race, and I see so many familiar faces.

I had forgotten that the race used to start at 8:00 in the past and appreciated the 7:00 start. Of course that makes it an early morning, but most of the time it’s best to get out as early as possible during the summer to beat the heat. The humidity, on the other hand, is often a factor we just have to cope with and that was the case again this year.

I arrived at 6:00, walked down to packet pickup, made a bathroom stop, then jogged back to the car. By the time I jogged back down to the start I had a gotten a mile in to warm up.

The wheeler/hand cyclists started at 6:45 followed five minutes later by people who have done the race 30 or more years, then the mass start went off at 7:00.

I was happy to see my friend Don in the starting corral and we chatted until we decided it was time to line up in the appropriate spots. I saw a sign for the 7:30 pacer and since I figured I might aim for a 7:45 pace, I stood a little bit behind that group. Within 25 seconds of the start, I made it across the starting line and was off.

During the first mile it’s always a matter of the crowd working out where they should be. Some slower people start too close to the front and people have to weave around them. Some faster people start too far back and go flying around people. Despite some weaving, it wasn’t too congested for me and I managed to run the first mile in 7:52.

Although it’s always fun to aim for a new PR and really push myself, I knew it wouldn’t be ideal with the humidity plus it was more important to be disciplined this year. With a marathon two weeks after Crim, it was not time to go all-out. The Holland Haven Marathon is my big goal at this point and I didn’t want to risk injuring myself. Training has been challenging at times this summer and I haven’t done as much speedwork as I would have liked so I knew I really couldn’t expect to PR anyway. I successfully ran an 8:00 pace for a half marathon a couple weeks before Crim so at least I knew I could do that. My pace was in the 7:20s for Crim last year, so I wondered if a 7:45 pace might be ideal.

I ran what felt like a comfortable and sustainable pace and it happened to fall in the 7:40s for most of the race. Although it felt like I was sort of guessing what might work, I suppose by now I’ve developed a good feel for what I’m capable of so it was a pretty educated guess!

After doing the race so many times it felt pretty routine. However, some of the spectators I’ve come to look forward to weren’t there. Both the woman who jumps on a mini trampoline and the guy who does karaoke at the end of a driveway were missing and I was kind of bummed about that. There were plenty of other enthusiastic people out there, including people offering Jell-O shots and beer, plus the aid stations had great energy.

I knew one of my Instagram running friends Lee would be on the course and he said to look out for a 36 (the number of times he’s done Crim) and “Running Architect” on the back of his shirt. Watching out for him helped keep me occupied as I passed some of the 30-year runners who got a head start. I knew he’d run a pretty good pace so I wouldn’t see him too early though. About halfway through the race I was relieved that I happened to be on the same side of the road and spotted him. I was happy to say hi and wish him good luck. It’s always fun to see friends out along the Crim course.

I saw the sign for Bradley Ave. and there was the harsh reminder that the “Bradley hills” start basically as soon as you turn onto the road. I talked my way through them by telling myself that I have hills like those that I’ve been training on and they weren’t any worse. I only slowed down to a 7:49 pace for that mile so they didn’t beat me up too much.

The nice thing about a 10-mile race is that I get used to running half marathons so it seems easier when the end comes several miles sooner! Although I told myself I wasn’t going to go all-out, my effort still felt challenging enough and the humidity contributed to that. I was just relieved to stay steady and strong throughout the race. Sometimes I try to pick up my pace for the last few miles but this time I held off until the last mile. It was a nice touch seeing Flint police vehicles lit up in blue and lining the street right before we made the final turn. THEN I allowed myself to go all-out for the final stretch and the finish along the brick road.

I dropped my pace from 7:40 for the ninth mile down to 7:21 for the final mile. I really picked it up at the end when my watch said I ran a 6:15 pace for the last 30 seconds. In the final stretch I spotted Dave from RunMichigan.com who was taking photos. Despite pushing with everything I had left, seeing him made me smile a genuine smile – something the other photographers didn’t catch!

After that last push, I was pretty spent for a couple minutes after I crossed the finish line.

My official time of 1:17:21 put me at an average pace of 7:44, so I was right on track with where I wanted to be. It was a ways off from last year’s PR of 1:13:54 and it was my second slowest Crim, but I was totally satisfied with how I ran the race.

I collected some water, chocolate milk, a granola bar, and a Clif Bar before going to the celebration area where I got a slice of pizza as well.

I saw more people I knew and chatted a bit until I started to cool off enough to get a little chilly. I figured it was time to head back to the car for a jacket and just take off for home.

I got a solid workout in with this race and apparently my approach was wise because I wasn’t too spent the next day. That’s when I wanted to run my final 20-miler to prep for my marathon. I ran it at a great pace without any soreness which was a big relief. It gave me hope that despite some struggles with training throughout the summer, things seem to be coming together just in time before the race.

COVID led to a hiatus for several years, but the Team Challenge finally made its return this year. While I had run for GM in the past, this was my first time contributing to the Stellantis team at Crim. 17 teams participated and I did well enough to help my Dodge Chargers team come in second place, so that was a bonus!

I always enjoy the Crim experience and expect to keep making it a yearly thing on my race schedule. Only 24 more years to go until I make that 30-year club! 😆

– Janet

Follow me on Instagram @janetboltz and Twitter @reidphotography

Feeling like I haven’t reached my potential is one sure way to keep me motivated and make me want to return to a race to “redeem” myself. I’d been thinking about the Swim to the Moon 5K basically since I finished the race last year. I was a bit disappointed that my race in 2022 was the slowest of the three times I had done it. I thought I’d worked hard in training, yet somehow I continued to get slower each time I did the race.

1:50:00 in 2019
1:57:43 in 2021
2:04:19 in 2022

Why did I continue to slow down?? I was determined to improve my time in 2023 and I had the Sunday, August 20 race day on my schedule for a year.

Swim to the Moon was the big goal that kept me motivated to swim 2-3 times per week throughout the year. It helped me pull myself out of bed stupid early to swim before work since that’s the best time to fit it into my schedule. For the first half of the year I was able to squeeze 2.5 miles in before I had to get to work. My schedule changed in July but I still had time to do a little over two miles most times I swam. I also made a point of going to a lake for some afternoon and long weekend swims.

By the time Swim to the Moon arrived this year I had racked up 158 miles of swimming since January. I had done 91 miles in that time period in 2022, so I hoped that the increased mileage would help me swim a better race this year.

Aside from feeling good about my training, I was excited about the race because my cousin Heather and her husband John were coming from Pennsylvania to swim the 10K. I love having awesome athletes like them in the family and I’ve been very inspired by their athletic endeavors – like completing a full Ironman. I don’t see them very often so it was going to be a special treat to share the day with them.

I got to Halfmoon Lake at the Pinckney Recreation Area at 6:00 on race day so I would have time to pick up my packet and catch Heather and John before they started at 6:30. I found them just as their race meeting started and wished them luck as they got ready to go!

The 10K swimmers would swim out to the beach at North Star Reach (a camp for kids with serious health issues) then turn around and swim back. I caught a bus with other 5K swimmers around 6:45 that took us to our starting point by North Star Reach. When I arrived the sun was just rising over Patterson Lake. The weather was perfect this year. It was a cool morning and would climb to the 80s later in the day.

Typically we wait until the first 10K swimmers arrive before we are sent into the water for the 5K start. The announcer told us that we would start at 7:30 sharp and that we should get our bags to gear check. I packed up my jacket and other stuff and got in the lake to get acclimated and get my goggles situated. Then it was time to wait.

It always blows my mind how fast some of the people are and that they come through the first 5K in about an hour. I waited with the crowd and wondered how I’d know when I should start. In the past we chose different colored swim caps based on the time we expected to swim. That helped create different waves of starting times. They didn’t do that this year though and it seemed like barely anyone was being sent into the water. At some point it was announced that we should start the race based on the pace of the 10K swimmers. If we expected to do it in an hour (most people laughed because that’s FAST) then we should start as those first swimmers turned around. Since it took me around two hours to complete the swim last year, did that really mean I’d have to wait another hour?? As I continued to stand on the beach with a large crowd, I realized it really might take that long.

In 2021, I started about 17 minutes after the first 5K swimmer. However, it only took me 7-8 minutes to start the two other times I did the race because there was a steady flow of swimmers going into the water every few seconds. It didn’t seem like the crowd was thinning very much this time so after half an hour of standing around I decided I should go sit at a picnic table and get off of my feet. I made another porta potty stop too since I had time to kill. I tried not to get too anxious but I was shivering and wished I could just start. It didn’t help that I had gotten into the water earlier and didn’t have anything to keep me warm since my gear was being taken back to where we’d finish.

It made sense to start with people going the same pace so I wouldn’t get in the way of faster swimmers and have them grabbing my feet. I just wasn’t prepared for the long wait. I worried that I’d get hungry because I’d timed my eating and drinking for the 7:30 start. I tried to tell myself that I manage the hours-long wait to start the Boston Marathon somehow and I’d be fine.

After a bit I went off to the side of the lake to get my goggles ready again before going back to wait at the start. Nearly an hour after I expected, I finally started my race at 8:25.

While the water had been around 78° in the weeks leading up to this race, I think the announcer said that it was 71° that morning. The majority of people, myself included, didn’t use a wetsuit. This race follows USA Swimming competition rules which typically calls for swimsuits. There are separate wetsuit divisions offered though and I started to question if that would have been a good idea! I never truly warmed up but I was fine.

I knew that photographer Greg Sadler would be somewhere near a bridge that we would go under and I was on the lookout for him. The pace slows down and it gets a little congested at that spot so I had no problem taking a moment to pose for the camera!

There is a current in that short tunnel which has favored the 5K swimmers each time I’ve done the race. We need to go single-file at that point to share the space with 10K swimmers who were going the opposite direction.

In general, the swim went well and was fairly uneventful. When I saw the aid station one mile into the swim I decided I’d rather keep moving. I’ve done plenty of swims where I go for two miles straight without stopping for a drink and figured I’d be fine. There was one lake that got really shallow, and one stretch that had some weeds to navigate through. I enjoyed the areas that were wide open where I felt like I had more space.

I stopped briefly for a cup of water and to adjust my leaky goggles at the second aid station then knew I had just about a mile to go. My watch buzzed every 500 yards and I kept counting down how much I had left. At some point the insides of my arms got sore from bending so often as I stroked, but everything else felt fine and I didn’t get too tired. I kept telling myself that I had trained for this and I was good.

Eventually I saw a large unicorn floating in the water and realized it was the turnaround point for the 1.2-mile swimmers. The lake got a lot busier in that stretch with swimmers from multiple races mixed together. I still didn’t have any issues with crashing into anyone, although the picture below shows that people got a lot closer!

I tried to put in some extra effort as I approached the finish. I’m not sure I gained much in terms of speed but I was breathing harder!

Success! After I crossed the finish line and saw that I was done in 1:50-something I was relieved. I made it back under two hours and was only 10 seconds off of my best time!

That difference between the gun time and the chip time means it took almost 45 minutes for me to start after the first 5K swimmer started! Obviously it all worked out fine. It’s also clear that I’m not especially speedy in comparison to everyone else. I do pretty well during the swim segment in triathlons where many people excel more on the bike, but I’m a bit subpar when surrounded by people who are serious enough about swimming to cover this kind of distance.

Since I never really warmed up in the chilly water, I went to gear check immediately to dry off a bit and get some clothes. I was still cold for a bit until I finally warmed up in the sun and then got TOO hot. It figures!

I helped myself to a variety of treats including an egg wrap, pancakes, a peanut butter and granola wrap, and a chocolate chip cookie.

The post-race area was busy with somewhere around 700 finishers plus family and friends. I was happy that I spotted my friend Kristin who did the 1.2-mile swim. She used a wetsuit and I told her that I’d been thinking about her while I had goosebumps in the water and thought she’d made a wise choice!

I was convinced that Heather and John would finish their 10K before I finished my 5K. They weren’t so sure about that, but my delayed start confirmed it for me! I finally found them and of course we had to get some nice family pictures.

They collected Epic Races cups for age group awards – Heather was second in hers and John was fourth in his. They both did a great job and Heather finished in just under three hours. So awesome! We went out to lunch afterward and got to catch up some more which made the day even more special.

Once again, I felt very accomplished for completing the distance no matter what my time was, but of course I was excited to do 14 minutes better than I had the prior year!

I continue to learn good lessons each time I do this race. The first year I was hungry by the end and got a calf cramp before the finish. I ate a total of three Picky Bars this year (one as I left home, one when I arrived an hour and a half later, and one on the bus ride to the start) which seemed to be perfect. The calf cramp taught me to hydrate more, so I drank at one aid station and had my own bottle with an electrolyte drink prior to the race. Last year I drank Gatorade at one of the aid stations and felt sick for the rest of the swim so I learned not to do that again. Sometimes the concentration of sports drinks is too sweet for me and I’m thankful that my own pre-race mix was enough to get me through without cramping. After I was disappointed in my time last year, Heather had told me that drag from wearing a swim buoy may have slowed me down. I bypassed it this year and maybe that did make a difference in my time.

Lessons learned for next year? Be prepared with some chews and water in case it takes longer than expected to start. It didn’t seem to affect my race at all but that might make me worry less! I also know I should do more speedwork. Just like running, it will make me better even though I dread it. I concentrated on long endurance swims and didn’t push my pace much at all during training. That might help me improve my time even more.

I’ve gone swimming through this chain of lakes four times now and recognize what a unique and cool experience Swim to the Moon is. That is why people travel from all over for this race! I already have it on my calendar for next year and once again it will help keep me motivated to maintain my swimming fitness year-round.

– Janet

Follow me on Instagram/Threads @janetboltz and Twitter @reidphotography

Whenever people ask what my next race will be, I preface it with, “I THINK it will be…” knowing very well that I could randomly add a race to my schedule at any time. That’s exactly what I did with the Bridge to Brew Half Marathon in Port Huron. 

The Holland Haven Marathon is only a month away and I’m feeling more and more skeptical about whether I’m prepared to run a marathon at my goal marathon pace. I know other parts of the country have been MUCH hotter than it’s been in Michigan but it’s been warm enough for me to struggle through plenty of runs this summer. I feel like I’ve been dragging a lot and I’ve been much slower than I’d like to be. I’ve racked up lots of miles and should have the endurance aspect covered but the pace aspect is questionable. I thought it might be good to find a race this weekend to help me get through my long run and possibly help me find a little more speed. 

RunMichigan.com‘s race calendar is the first place I go to hunt for races and I found the Port Huron half marathon listed there. My training schedule called for a weekend long run of 16-20 miles with 6-8 of the miles at marathon pace OR the option of racing a half marathon. It seemed like jumping into this race might be a good choice. For several years I’ve wanted to do a sunrise run along the St. Clair River and Lake Huron by the Blue Water Bridge and Fort Gratiot Lighthouse. This race would allow me to check all of those boxes! Plus, the weather looked nice for race day and I knew the course should be flat. Two days beforehand I decided to go for it. $50 was an especially reasonable price for a last-minute half marathon registration!

The race took place on Sunday, August 13 at 7:00. I decided I should aim for 18 miles for the day so I’d get a full long run done. Since I really wanted to catch the sunrise by the water and it would take somewhere around two miles to get from the race location to the Blue Water Bridge, I settled on five pre-race miles with a 5:30 start time. That was so early that only a couple other people had arrived to start setting up.

I wore my headlamp and light-up vest since it was totally dark when I started. I made my way to the waterfront and found a few people fishing in the St. Clair River. A few boats went by and it was really peaceful and pretty.

As the sun rose it was everything I had hoped for. I get so energized by runs like that with such awesome scenery. The hour-long drive had already been worth it before even running the race.

I headed toward the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse but I hit 2.5 miles just before I got there so I had already gone far enough. I knew I should also watch the time, so I headed back.

Once I got back toward the downtown area where the race would start, I decided to hit Main Street for part of the run. It looked pretty with lights strung across the street.

I made it back to the starting area just before 6:30 and hit the porta potty line before it got too bad. There were only four of them and I knew that line would grow quite a bit as we approached 7:00. I collected my shirt and bib, swapped to a dry shirt and hat, and changed into my special carbon plate speedy running shoes.

At 7:00 we started with a short stretch through downtown before heading to the St. Clair River. We ran on the same path I had run earlier and of course it was pretty during the daylight as well. I was definitely glad I chose to do this race.

Sometimes I’m a little iffy about signing up for a first-year race because they can have kinks that need to get worked out. However, I saw that the event was tied to the Elite Feet Running Store so I trusted that they would host a good race. They had a ton of volunteers along the course to make sure we followed the correct route and they were wonderful. It was a quiet run without music or any spectacles along the way, and there were a few groups of spectators in spots.

It was an out-and-back course with several miles along the river and by Lake Huron, a nice path by a cemetery that was along the Black River Canal, then by a high school and golf course. We ran on the road at times and on some sidewalks, where I was a little concerned about how that might work when we had people running in both directions. By the time I got back to the sidewalks there were only a few people still on their way out though, so it worked out just fine. It was a small race with just under 200 people running the half. Although small, I always seemed to have someone close enough within my view to help me keep my pace going.

When we got to the halfway point and ran around a circle in a neighborhood I was able to scope out how many women were in front of me. At that point I was the eighth woman and I was curious to see if I could move up at all by the end.

My real goal for the race was just to see if I could run a decent number of miles at my goal marathon pace, which is around 8:00/mile. I ran eight miles at marathon pace on July 13 and here I was a month later without having run any real marathon-paced workout since. I attempted a workout on a day when it felt like 90° and only managed three miles that were a little faster and not even at my goal pace. The concern about aiming to run that pace for 26 miles was the motivation for doing this race! I’m not sure if I can reasonably attempt to try that without doing the proper training.

My pace for the first five miles of the race was between 8:01 and 8:05 so I was on track and my breathing wasn’t too labored. I didn’t realize it until I looked at my splits after the race but I managed to run a sub-8:00 pace for the rest! I was in the 7:50s for nearly half of the race. My breathing DID start to feel a little more labored and I kept wondering if it would catch up with me at some point and I’d struggle through the final miles. I got into a good rhythm though and felt pretty strong. It really helped that even though it was a bit humid, it was in the 60s. That was a nice break from the 80s I’ve been running in too often lately.

I managed to catch up to a couple of women and believed I was in sixth place with a few miles to go. Seeing the fifth place woman ahead of me helped motivate me to keep pushing when I had a couple miles left. It was fun to run on the riverwalk again on the way back, and one great thing about this race was how flat it was. I was able to maintain my speed somehow and caught up with the woman in front of me. She was running strong so that helped push me to give it my all. I finished the last mile in 7:26!

My official time was JUST under 1:44 with a 1:43:59. It turned out that the woman I passed near the end had started the race farther back than I had, so she actually beat me by eight seconds. So close! I was thankful for her because when it got hard to keep pushing in the final miles, it helped to have someone else around to keep me going. I was still pretty happy to come in sixth place out of the women!

I don’t think this race had any photographers so this single selfie is the only picture of me from the day!

We received a pint glass after we finished. There was a place serving beer (thus the Bridge to BREW part of the name) plus they had snacks like watermelon, bananas, oranges, chips, Pop Tarts, granola bars, mini Rice Krispies Treats, and some fruit chews. Plenty of options!

I ate my snacks down by the water and thought about how my boat-loving dad probably would have enjoyed hearing about this race.

I stuck around long enough to hear that they gave awards to the winners of the 5K age groups so I figured I didn’t need to stick around for the half marathon awards since I was third in my age group. I wanted to head out for some sightseeing before I went home.

I went to Lighthouse Park so I could see the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse. I learned that it is the oldest in the state of Michigan!

There was a nice beach with some pretty scenery and I loved taking it all in.

Although this race was somewhere around five minutes slower than my half marathon PR, I was really happy with how it went. It was such a relief to finally have a good workout at marathon pace. Based on the effort it took, I’m still not sure if it will be the best idea to try to maintain that pace for 26 miles in a month. I might try to aim for a slightly slower pace come race day. However, I still have four weeks to put in more work. I have the Crim 10-mile race in a couple weeks where I will surely push the pace again. I can hope for cooler temperatures soon which could help. At the very least, this was a confidence-booster and a really nice scenic run on a beautiful day. I would return to this race again in the future!

– Janet

Follow me on Instagram / Threads @janetboltz and Twitter @reidphotography